Improvement



UNITED S'IA'IESA PATENT FFICE.

THOMAS TRIPP, OF EAST STOUGI-ITON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN PACKINGS FOR PISTN-RODS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 211,947, dated February4, 1879 g application filed November 18, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs TRIPP, a resident of East Stoughton, in thecounty of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certainImprovements in Packings for Pis'- ton-Rods, Sac., of which thefollowing is a speciication:

This invention relates to improvements in packings for piston-rods, &c.,whereby such packing accommodates itself to the movements of the rod,and retains at all times a perfect bearing and a position about the rodat all times at right angles to the axis of the latter, thereby avoidingthe thrusts and strains and leakage of steam incident to many piston-rodpackings in use; and my improvements consist in the construction andarrangement of parts, as hereinafter described.

The drawings accompanying this specification represent, in Figure l, asectional elevationl of a piston-rod packing embodying my improvements.Fig. 2 is an end view of the two'sectional or semi rings which encompassthe piston-rod, while Fig. 3 is a like view of the plate which breaksthe joints of the said rings. Fig. tis a section of the sectional packing-plates, showing the connecting-dowels and mortises. Fig. 5 is ahorizontal section in the pla-ne of the said packing-plates.

In the above-named drawings I have represented at A what may beconsidered a portion of a piston-rod of a steam-engine cylinder, thefront portion or flange of the cylinder-head through which the rodpasses being shown at B.

In carrying my invention into effect, I provide an annular plate orliange, C, which I bolt flatwise to the portion B of the cylinderhead,the said plate C constituting, in the present instance, the base orsupport ot' my packing, and loosely surrounding the pistonrod, in orderthat the latter may be permitted slight side play within such plate.

The packing element in this case consists of two hook-shaped collars orsectional rings, D D, which inclose upon opposite sides the rod Aoutside of the base-plate C, the united outer peripheries of these ringsbeing preferably circular, and the coinciding or meeting faces beingstraight and parallel, in order that one may slide upon the other asthey are crowded inward to take up the wear upon their innerperipheries, while the conjoint inner peripheries of these sectionalplates or semi-rin constitute a cylindrical bore to encircle tightly therod A. Y

To prevent tendency to separation of the semi-rings or plates D Dlengthwise ofthe rod A, I connect the two by dowels and mortises a b,while, to break the joints between the plates D D upon the inside, Iemploy an annular plate or washer, E, which surrounds the rod A, and isinterposed between the said plate G and plates D D. The plate or washerE, in addition to breaking the joints between the plates D D andpreventing escape of steam between them and the cylinder-head, alsoserves to confine said plates together in their proper placetransversely of the piston-rod; and in order to permit of endwisemovements of such rings upon one another as their inner peripheriesbecome worn by contact with the rod, I connect such plates D D and theplate E by dowel-pins or spurs c c, 86e., which play in slots d d, &e..created in the plate E, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. of the drawings.

To temporarily seal the joint between the bores of the plates D D andthe periphery of the rod A until such plates find a smooth and fairbearing upon such rod, I employ an annulus, c, of india-rubber or otherelastic material, which is let into a common channel, f, created in theconjoint inner peripheries of the plates. As the plates D D becomefitted to the rod the 'packing-rin g e may be removed or allowed toremain, as may be preferred.

To confine the plates D D in place upon the rod I employ an annular heador follower, F, which encircles said rod, and is confined to the plate Cby bolts g g, 85e., while, to crowd the plates D D closely up to and soas to tightly hug the rod, I form upon the inner face of such head F twoobliquely inclined or sloping ears, h h, which operate withcorrespondinglyinclined faces i t' formed upon the peripheries of theplates D D, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

It will be evident that by crowding the head F inward by means of thenuts of the bolts g the inclined ears of such head will wipe against theadjacent sloping faces of the plates D D, and force the latter inwardupon opposite sides of the rod A, so as to tightly 'encircle and hug thelatter and prevent escape of steam at this point, while at the same timethe intermediate packing plate or ring F is tightly crowded up to itsseat upon the base-plate (l.

As before stated, the dowel-pins a are for the purpose ot' preventingend-play of the plates D D lengthwise ofthe rod A, and with smallpiston-rods they serve the purpose without aid from other sources; butwith large piston-rods, in which the plates are of considerable size, Iprefer to employ gage-screws k k, Ste., which are screwed through theouter head or cap F, and abut against the outer ends of the plates.

Should the inner peripheries of the plates D D in time become worn so asto permit of leakage of steam between them and the collar E or the plateC, or between them and the rod A, or again between the collar E andplate C, by reason of general slackness of parts, the screws k are to beretracted to aslight extent, and the nuts ot' the bolts g screwed inwardupon the cap F to a corresponding degree, which effectually tightens thejoints between the various parts.

It will be seen that I am enabled to dispense with springs as nowgenerally employed in packings of this character to maintain the partsgenerally in place about the piston-rod.

It will also be seen that any lateral swaying or irregular movements ofthe piston-rod with respect to the axis ofthe cylinder do not tend toloosen or start the various joints of my packing, as the entire devicemoves with the piston-rod and slides upon the baseplate C, or thecylinder-head flan ge, and accommodates itself to the movements of therod, so that the thrusts and strains upon the latter have no tendency toet'ect separation of the various component parts of the packing, or tospread the joint between it and the head of the cylinder, as the bolts gwill swing suEticiently to permit of the bodily movement of the packingdevice without throwing its various parts out of place or disturbing itsrelations with the rod.

The entire device is outside of the cylinder and readily accessible. Itis simple, eli'ective, and durable, and for these reasons not subject toderangement or rapid wear.

I claim- 1. A rod-packing composed of the sectional plates D D, collaror annular plate E, and

head or cap F, with its oblique or sloping ears h h acting upon theperipheries of the plates, the said parts being connected with thecylinder-head directly, or by means of the baseplate C, by the bolts gy, as shown and described.

2. The packing plate orcollar E, disposed between the sectional plates DD on the one side and the cylinder-head or the plate O on the other, andserving to break the joints between the said plates D D and confine themtogether upon the rod transversely of the latter.

3. The auxiliary packing or elastic strip e, in combination with theplates D D and rod A.

4. The head F, with its oblique or sloping ears h h operating with theinclined faces upon the plates D D in line with the guide-slots in plateE.

5. The peculiar sha-pe of the plates D D, as shown in Fig. 2 of thedrawings-that is to say, with semi-cylindrical bores, which united servet0 inclose the piston rod, and with straight parallel edges at rightangles to their iat faces, to meet and slide upon each other, tocompensate for wear upon the bores.

6. In general combination, the sectional plates D D, collar or annularplate E, cap F,

THOMAS TRIPP.

Vitnesses:

WM. lURELL ANDREWS, J r., H. ELLERTON LODGE.

